Hallo.....Haaalo... My name is Inigo Magee and I have come to not kill your father, but to tell you the story of someone who has and will always make me happy. I worked with her brother Scott at Priory and became good friends with both Scott and his wife Becca. A great throw in in the deal has been Jessie. Her smile lights up the room and when she laughs everybody is happy. She is also the direct offspring of an Ozark Airlines pilot. The most fun we ever had and it was like a continuation of the same game was at Cardinals games in the 2004-2006 era, but Jessie and I are both die hard Princess Bride fans, and we once took like 4 and half hours to watch the movie. We took turns grabbing the remote and repeating our favorite scenes like 10 times each. I think I watched Mandy Patinkin say Hallo about a dozen times, each time we said that famous greeting with him. Taking turns exaggerating our Hallos, I don't think I have ever enjoyed watching a movie more.
Jessie is now an English teacher at Pattonville with Breakfast # 5. I am so happy they are working together. Jessie and I spent a lot of time talking about students this morning and I know through our conversations over the years, she is a great teacher. It is impossible to fake the compassion and the caring that comes through in her stories and yes, her frustrations. Today, Jessie told me something that I am going to use this year in my class room. "High School is like a warmup for life, if you cannot do high school and do it well. Then you might have some trouble doing life." We have both taught great kids that we cannot quite get to understand that hard work in high school prepares you to work hard in everything you do. Students sometimes don't understand that you cannot really turn on and off a work ethic. When they turn in their paper at the last minute and survive the previous all nighter, they think that they can continue to do that. But in life, we have broken water heaters, and repairmen, and family commitments that prevent you from that all nighter. However, if you work hard like Jessie says an develop that work ethic in high school then the rest of your life will still have those annoying obstacles, (I look out at my back yard, and my tree is falling down, someone has to do something about that!), but you will get through it. Jessie's mom is a lifelong teacher and she grew up knowing how hard you have to work as an English teacher. Jessie has taken that heritage added her own special skills and talents and does her best for all of her students.
All right, some of you were there, the Cardinals win on a Friday night. A bunch of us walk to Paddy O's, the before renovation Paddy O's, to have some Bud Lights. Todd Thomas is the DJ and has his usual play list and his schtick that still makes me laugh. Todd cues up Journey and I walk lost onto the dance floor, on the other side of the bar, Jessie hears Steve Perry and does the exact same thing. We purposely avoid eye contact and do a couple of close passes like a Tom Hanks--Meg Ryan movie. I actually hear a couple of times where someone said, "I wonder if he is looking for that tall girl?" Jessie and I had our on act and we literally met every Friday night on the dance floor at Paddy O's. And after awhile it was always during "Don't Stop Believing" Ed Poth was often there and so was Phil Williams, and Sarah and Michelle and Leanne and sometimes Holly (although she always lost her hacky sack there). I think with the Cardinals winning, the best dance partner ever, and good friends, I guess I would have to say those were the happiest times of my life. It was so much fun. And then after several songs including Lit and Guns n' Roses, Todd would cue up Yeah! from Usher and Jessie and I would tear up that asphalt dance floor. And I often still had my peanut on my ear from the ball game. (Did you say something? I did not hear you.) Jessie would smile and flirt and giggle and Yeah she is a definite 20! We would have the best of time and I would look up and Phil Williams would just be laughing so hard with that big Phil smile. I loved that smile from my best friend.
Jessie and I have not seen each other in way too long, but we immediately turned to old stories and inside jokes, while being there in our conversation for our current obstacles. I am so proud of Jessie and who she is, and now she has found her Wesley and has her own son.
So I, her loyal Fezzik, gets lowered onto his horse by crane (watch the documentary) and I ride off knowing that Princess Buttercup is happy.
"No more rhymes and I mean it" Anybody want a peanut.
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